Monday, July 27, 2015

"Yooo-Hoo!!!!!! Big
summer blowout!" - frozen. Alrighty.. here we go! What a week. I am
getting like a complete Gomba. (Shrimp which means red skin) because of the KILLER
heat!! Wow--it's amazing at how scourging it is in southern Spain- but hey, it
comes with some killer tan lines as well.

We had a baptism yesterday!! It was definitely a “locura” (crazy) day, we
decided to do it right after church but while we were in the 2nd class halfway
through, I have to admit, it was the Spirit that reminded us that we forgot to
fill up the baptismal font and the programs. So, there we were, two
hermanas hauling big buckets of water from the kitchen to the font (see photo).
We were determined there was going to be a baptism that day! Thankfully, it all
turned out great and as planned. Eglys, a 22 years old Cuban girl was baptized.
We contacted her my second day in Malaga as she was actually a referral contact.
She was so well prepared as it still amazes me every time to know that the Lord
really is preparing His children. She was so filled with the Spirit and light
the day of her baptism. We sang her a song and she was so happy as she kept
giving us hugs and “besitos”--kisses. It was a wonderful experience. Of course,
like all baptisms!!

Also, this week, I had an
awesome exchange with the Hermanas from Malaga 3. I went to their area and
while we were contacting in the streets we stopped by a lady and she had such a
cute little dog. So, here you go I had to take a picture with my new friend -- hopefully
Ella won't get too jealous.

Loveeeeeeee,

Hermana Arce

"Analogies are banned
in certain parts of the mission after a handful of recent converts still refer
to the third member of the Godhead as Casper the friendly ghost"

"Remember failure is
an event... not a person, and yesterday ended last night"

...Two hermanas hauling
big buckets of water from the kitchen to the font...

...With our cute little friend...

My MINION goggles...

Malaga Mission Leadership Council

Sister Training Leaders (Super Hermanas Entrenadoras - SHEs). They add so much and are a key part of the mission leadership council. Before the Church announced the name for their position in Spanish, our mission president felt the best translation for them would be "Hermana Entrenadoras", or Sister Trainers. But as you can see, the abbreviation would be "HE". We just couldn't have that for Sisters, so our Mission President suggested jokingly that we should call them "Super Hermana Entrenadoras", or SHEs. The name stuck. Here they are--our "SHEs".

Watermelon and a shepherds pie! So
American. The nurse of our mission invited us to eat!

Since Spain is so hot and the Spaniards are so poor
that EVERYONE has a personal fan (called "Abanicos"). Although it's more
for women, you may see even men carrying them around. It's like an accessory! Of course, I bought one and love
it.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Well, I would like to share a
thought that touched me greatly this week. One day this week, I was looking at
a picture of Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon when He came to the Americas
and showed the people the wounds in His hands. I was reflecting upon this... and
thought if He had a perfect body why are the wounds in His hands?

It was a thought that slipped
my mind and then I melted when I read across 1 Nephi 21:14-16. In this chapter
Nephi is telling his people of the Savior and His atonement:

15 For can a woman forget
her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

16 Behold, I have graven
thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

I found great comfort to know
that the marks in His hands are specifically there for a reason not only to
show as a witness what He did for us but because He cannot forget us as we
journey through life. I testify that He knows each and every one of us and
understands fully what we are going through in our lives. Only He can heal,
clean, and purify us. That is something I wanted to share with you this week.